Development in rural areas is a key research and policy issue in many industrialised countries. Central to this is the subject of rural employment. This book presents an international perspective on rural employment and has been developed from selected papers presented at a conference held in Quebec, Canada, in October 1995 and organized by the Canadian Rural Restructuring Foundation. The book consists of 30 chapters divided into seven parts. Seven chapters are reports of international comparative analyses prepared for the OECD Rural Development Programme. Another group of chapters focuses on retaining and retraining youth to stay in rural areas. Other issues addressed include lifestyle and residential choice, rural enterprises, policies to stimulate employment, the role of agriculture, and alternative niches including tourism and using the information highway. Case study material is drawn from several countries, including the USA, Canada, UK, Sweden and Finland. The book presents a timely review of an important subject that will interest a wide range of academics and policy makers in rural studies, whether from the perspective of economics, geography, sociology or planning.